[Washington, D.C. – November 4, 2024] — Blue Star Families, a national nonpartisan nonprofit that provides community support and resources to military families, today released its report, Pulse Check: In Service of Our Democracy, in collaboration with Vet the Vote and More Perfect. The survey focused on the thoughts and feelings of military-connected individuals heading into the 2024 election. The results show that not only do the majority vote, but many also serve as poll workers in order to protect democracy. The Blue Star Families’ Civic Engagement Pulse Check survey was fielded August 1-12, 2024, and received more than 3,100 responses from active-duty, National Guard and Reserve service members, Veterans, and their family members.
The survey was described in an op-ed published in the Dallas Morning News, co-written by Blue Star Families’ Kathy Roth-Douquet and More Perfect’s John Bridgeland. Some of the survey’s key takeaways are:
- The primary factor influencing military-connected respondents’ vote in the 2024 election is ‘the state of democracy and corruption’. This ranked twice as high as compared to Americans as a whole, higher than immigration and the economy.
- While only 12% of the general population has served as a poll worker, 1 in 5 military-connected respondents have worked the polls.
- 93% of military-connected respondents believe that voting can influence the direction of the country — almost double of the registered voters in the general population (56%).
- At a time when retention concerns plague the All-Volunteer Force, one-quarter of respondents indicate that the outcome of the election will impact their likelihood to recommend military service.
“Today is Election Hero Day, which is a fitting title for the more than 163,000 military-connected Americans who volunteered to serve at our polling sites,” says Ellen Gustafson, co-founder of We the Veterans and Military Families. “Their overwhelming participation shows that those who sacrifice the most for our democracy also trust it the most. That should send a powerful message to all Americans.”
“Military families are super-voters, and super-poll-workers, putting their country first in a way all Americans can emulate. We trust the system we serve, despite its flaws; democracy works, when we all engage,” says Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families.
Through partnerships with More Perfect, a nonpartisan alliance of 34 Presidential Centers working to strengthen democracy, and We the Veterans and Military Families, a Veteran and military family-led nonpartisan organization engaging our community to strengthen America, Blue Star Families amplifies the military community’s role in preserving democratic institutions.
“When military-connected families step up to serve at polling places, they’re doing more than staffing an election — they stand as an example of what it means to protect and defend our Constitution,” says John M. Bridgeland, Founder & CEO of More Perfect and former Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council for President George W. Bush.
According to a recent Blue Star Families/YouGov poll, military families were chosen as the most trusted group in the country, with 90 percent of Americans having a favorable view of them.
The data shows that military-connected individuals show up to protect the state of democracy, not only by voting, but also working the polls to preserve the safety and integrity of Election Day.
This trust in the democratic process stems from the military community’s unique perspective and experience serving the nation. They view this trust as an extension of their oath to protect the Constitution, translating their commitment to service into civic engagement.
“All Americans can do their part to protect our democracy by voting and protecting the voting rights of others,” continued Roth-Douquet.
To view the full Pulse Check: In Service of Our Democracy results, visit the official results release website.
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About Blue Star Families
Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest Chapter-based military and Veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach builds strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $200 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people annually. For more information, click here.
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